This month’s Carhartt WIP Radio show welcomes the Seoul-based electronic music duo Salamanda, composed of Uman Therma (aka Sala) and Yetsuby (aka Manda). The pair met in 2018 through a mutual friend, bonding over a love of contemporary classical and experimental music. Despite their disparate musical backgrounds – Manda was classically trained while Sala was self-taught – the duo were compelled to collaborate and explore new territory. “Downtempo, leftfield music isn’t very common in Seoul. So we decided we wanted to make it without worrying about what people are looking for,” Sala explains.

Salamanda (picture by Jinwoo Park)

"Downtempo, leftfield music isn’t very common in Seoul. So we decided we wanted to make it without worrying about what people are looking fo"

They released their debut album just a year later in 2019 titled Our Lair, which served as a portal into the duo’s world of leftfield, ambient sounds. They followed this up with the avian-inspired Glass Cage EP in 2020, then their sophomore album Sphere in 2021, which was influenced by all things spherical, from the planet Earth to bubbles. Last June, the pair released their latest album ashbalkum on New York City’s Human Pitch label. The LP was an exploration of the relationship between reality and dreams.

Salamanda (picture by Jinwoo Park)

For this edition of Carhartt WIP radio, Salamanda created an ethereal mix featuring a selection of released and unreleased tracks, as well as alternative versions of older compositions and some live show recordings. In addition to this, Salamanda will feature in the upcoming issue of WIP magazine, in an interview discussing their eclectic use of sounds, their collaborative relationship, and the underground music scene in Seoul. The interview will be available to read online following the launch of the issue on November 17th.